To be understood is not the same as being observed.
Field Notes
Dogs are unusually skilled at reading human emotions. They respond to facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, and even physiological signs of stress. While humans often divide their attention among many concerns, a dog may spend long periods focused on a single person. The result can feel surprisingly profound. Sometimes what we experience as being “seen” is not someone knowing our story. It is someone noticing how we are doing right now.